In this week's episode of Snollygoster, Ohio's politics podcast from WOSU, hosts Mike Thompson and Steve Brown discuss what might happen in Ohio if the Supreme Court overturns Roe v. Wade.
"Trigger Law"
This week the Ohio Senate began hearings on a bill that would make abortion immediately illegal in the state if the U.S. Supreme Court rules against abortion rights.
That could happen as early as next spring when the court issues its decision on a Mississippi case. So, abortion opponents in Ohio want the state to be ready and pass a law that would make performing an abortion or promoting abortion immediately illegal if the court overturns Roe v. Wade.
It’s called a "Trigger Law" and 12 other states have them.
The bill shows Ohioans what the state could look like if Roe is overturned.
Anyone who causes or induces an abortion would be guilty of a fourth-degree felony which carries a two-year prison sentence and $2,500 fine, physicians could lose their license and promoting abortion would be a misdemeanor.
Mapmaking
State lawmakers had until yesterday to approve a new congressional map, but as expected they missed the deadline. That means it goes back to the seven-member redistricting commission that produced the state legislative maps a couple of weeks ago.
If they can’t come up with maps that gain Democratic support, and if lawmakers can’t get enough Democratic votes, Ohio likely will have a GOP favored map that lasts only four years instead of the standard 10.
Snollygoster Of The Week
Ohio Supreme Court Justice Pat DeWine said he will not recuse himself from hearing cases about the state’s redistricting maps even though they were approved by his father, Gov. Mike DeWine, who sits on the redistricting commission. Ohio's judicial conduct code requires judges to disqualify themselves from cases when their impartiality might be questioned.
Justice DeWine has recused himself from other cases involving his father, but those were challenges to the governor’s executive power. Justice DeWine said because his father is only one of seven members of the commission, he does not have as much of a role in it.
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